Gabby Petito case shines spotlight on other missing person cases
ABC News
The Gabby Petito case could help other missing person cases gain steam using the power of social media, experts say.
The national spotlight on Gabby Petito's disappearance has given families of other missing persons hope that they too can amplify their stories and find loves ones.
Petito made headlines after she went missing on a cross-country road trip with her boyfriend earlier this month. A body found over the weekend near Grand Teton National Park was confirmed to be hers on Tuesday. The coroner said she died by homicide, but the cause of death is pending final autopsy results.
Petito is just one of thousands reported missing each year -- the FBI had over 89,000 active missing persons at the end of 2020.
Her case also highlighted racial disparities in coverage of such cases as 45% of missing persons last year were people of color, according to the FBI's National Crime Information Center.
